Fire with Fire
by Blurby
Summary: En route to Norfolk, a storm forces Mac and Harm to rest at a motel for the night and talk out their problems. [ Complete ]
1. Chapter I

**FIRE WITH FIRE**

[ A / N ] This story is set before "Trojan Horse". In addition, for my purposes only, things aren't so rosy between Mac and Webb, unlike what she suggested (much to my horror) on the USS Wake Island.

* * *

The gentle swishing of the rainwater spraying up could be heard as the 2001 Nissan went down the highway in the hilly areas on Norfolk, Virginia. The dark blue form of the car could be seen miles down the road, moving sluggishly on the pavement.

"That's it, we're switching," Mac snapped as Harm yawned again from the driver's seat. She sat up straight, shaking away her slumber and prodded him in the arm when he failed to respond to her comment. "Pull over."

"I'm fine," he insisted, "go back to your nap."

"I would if you didn't keep on opening that mouth of yours. You're obviously beat, Harm."

He glanced at her through the corner of his eye. "You sure? The weather seems to be getting a lot worse."

She nodded with an exasperated sigh as he slowly led the car to a stop on the side of the road. He indolently opened the car door after taking the umbrella from the back seat. Under its protection, Harm walked to her side of the door, letting her exit the vehicle and taking her place in the passenger seat.

He laid his head against the cool glass of the window and watched the trails the water droplets left behind as the slowly slid down the side of the car. The pattering of the rain soon got louder and more frequent as the journey continued. He managed to close his eyes for a moment to let the increasingly strong torpor take over, but was jarred awake by the honking of the car's horn.

He awoke with a start to find Mac muttering and tapping her fingers irately on the steering wheel. "What's wrong?"

"That _jackass_ getting a driver's license is wrong – he cut me off."

She motioned towards the white car in front with her left hand and pressed down on the accelerator as the other driver started to gain distance from them.

"Hey! Watch it, road's slippery, Mac."

She growled under her breath but didn't cease from the pedal. "He was weaving in and out. It's people like him who cause accidents, and make the road unsafe..."

Harm peered over the dashboard to make out the unmistakable signal of the man's hand at the opposing car's rearview mirror.

"I can't believe it." Mac huffed, "he flipped me off! That's it, we're tailgating."

"We? Wait a second, just let him go."

To prove his point, he turned on the car radio, tuning it to a news station.

The reception was poor, but a woman's voice managed to crackle through the stereo. "…weather in Norfolk county and surrounding regions continues to get worse due to rising storm activity in the area. 630 News will keep you posted on the matter. Meanwhile, highway 182 is congested due to a collision…"

Mac slowly let the pressure against the accelerator lessen. The car gradually went back under speed limit, but the raindrops continued to hit the windshield with increasing force. His eyes went wide as Mac leaned forward and hunched herself over the steering wheel as the white car sped away.

A quick flash of lightning made her jump ever so slightly. Mac managed to keep her reaction subtle, but he knew she was startled when the muscles of her back tensed slightly. A few moments later, the low rumble of thunder preceded a huge onslaught of rain.

"You alright?" Harm asked. He raised his voice slightly to be heard over the downpour.

She nodded and furrowed her brow, concentrating on the road. She slowly turned the wheel as the highway veered slightly to the left, but kept their speed steady.

He glanced at the speedometer, seeing it was exactly sixty miles-per-hour. Out of pure curiosity, he peeked outside, squinting through the foggy haze to catch a glimpse at the sign saying the issued speed limit. Not to his surprise, it read a mere fifty.

Harm arched an eyebrow and cleared his throat. "You know, I think we should stop at a motel for the night. The weather's getting worse, we're both dead-tired and we're an hour away from the base. I'm sure if we call in, they'll understand."

"We have a schedule to keep." She flipped the windshield wipers higher as the rain came down faster.

"I know…but it's not safe. No one's driving now, see? We'd better rest up until the storm dies down."

In a low whisper, Mac cut him off before he could add anything. "I'm fine. Go back to-"

She yelped in surprise as the car skidded. As quickly as she could register the loss of control, Mac slammed her foot down on the brake, and the car swiveled side to side, eventually coasting to a halt 200 feet down the road. The car was tilted awkwardly to the left, the rear bumper slightly off the asphalt.

Harm slowly lowered his hands from the dashboard and placed on his knees. He flexed his fingers slowly and exhaled his breath.

"Touché," Mac said as she glanced in the rearview mirror to assure no one was coming behind them. She swiveled her head and frowned. "Next exit is a mile or two down from here."

She turned the wheel and managed to get on a straight course again.

* * *

Molly Lane and her husband Dan owned the Downsview Inn off the interstate. The brewing storm outside, although creating a gloomy atmosphere, proved excellent for business. Travelers, mostly business people, had come in a flurry a short while ago, trying to get sanctuary from the rain.

Granted she was trying to help the poor souls caught outside – she attempted to persuade most groups of travelers to bunk in the same room by lowering the price, in hope that she could accommodate more people.

Never before had she the honor of lighting up the 'no vacancy' sign outside, and it seemed tonight would be a christening of sorts of her relatively new establishment.

Molly beamed brightly as she handed off a pair of keycards to two men in Gucci suits with expensive haircuts. She chuckled to herself as they frowned after accepting them; they were obviously used to a much different lifestyle.

Dan came up behind her and smiled. "We've seen all kinds of people tonight, but nothing like this."

"What do you mean?"

He motioned towards the door as the little bell rang softly as it had done countless times before. In stepped in a woman with short, dark hair. She was dressed in a military uniform, Molly saw, as she took off her jacket and shook it off slightly. Behind her came a tall man dressed in Navy blue. He was intimidating, with his dominant presence and even more imposing height.

"I said I'm sorry!" exclaimed the woman, as the man nudged her in the back.

"We could've had a really bad accident, Mac!"

She came fully into the small lobby and stood up straight. The tall man stood in front of her, daring her to do something. Molly could see the woman tiptoe on her high heels a little to match his height. _Although_, Molly thought,_ she doesn't really need to do that._ She decided the woman, 'Mac', Molly supposed, was very impressive with her attractive features and a curvaceous body which still managed to show through the clunky military uniform

"I know, alright? Let's just get our rooms. I'll call into the Admiral, you call the base."

The man took Mac's jacket and hung it over his arm with his own. "If I hadn't stopped you, who knows what would've happened."

"If you hadn't kept on talking to me, we would have been just fine. I should've ignored you," the woman said, pointing a slender index finger at the man accusingly, nearly prodding him in the middle of his chest.

"Would've, should've, could've."

Mac closed her eyes in annoyance and took a step forward, ignoring the man. Molly admitted, despite their appearance, the two people front of her did not act at all what she would have expected of military folk.

Mac sighed. "You know, in all the time you've been talking, we probably lost the rooms."

"_Me_? You have too!"

When she did nothing more than stare at him, the man exhaled a breath and motioned her towards Molly and Dan, who stood flabbergasted at the front desk.

Dan cleared his throat. "What can we do for you today? Off to the naval base?"

The man smiled, as if nothing had happened. Molly decided that his smile could make her forget the little squabble, and a lot more – no offense to her husband, of course.

"We were."

"You know, my father served in 'Nam, ground forces in Viet-Kong and I was stationed on the USS Coral a couple years back." Dan offered his hand out, which the man shook wholeheartedly.

The man nodded. "I'm Commander Rabb, this is Colonel Mackenzie. Because of the…great weather, we need two rooms for the night."

"Sir…" Molly frowned, glancing quickly at the woman's ring finger to see nothing. "We only have one vacancy left, unfortunately."

The grin on the Commander's face vanished as he glanced at the Colonel nervously. "Well, I…"

"We'll take it." Mac held her hand out to accept the key Dan held out.

Molly shared a look with her husband as the Colonel spun on her heel and trudged towards the stairs to the left. Commander Rabb studied her for a moment before calling out. "I'll get the bags then?"

Colonel Mackenzie stopped in her tracks. Her shoulders visibly moved up and down as she took in a shaky breath of air. She turned around and walked towards the door when the heel of her left shoe snapped. Instead of stumbling over however, she stood still, reached down and calmly placed the heel in her pocket before limping awkwardly towards the Commander to get her jacket.

Both of them went outside, the Commander holding out the umbrella to shelter them both as they made a run for the car.

Dan tapped his fingers against the desk slowly and whistled. "That was interesting."

* * *

TBC 


	2. Chapter II

[ A / N ] - I just wanted to point out that I'm not throwing Mac and Harm into each other's arms. Their relationship is much too complicated for that ;)

* * *

Harm let his bag plop down aimlessly to the floor the moment he entered the room. As they had made the trek up the stairs, he had prayed to himself that there would be two beds – he didn't want to sleep on the floor or handle any awkward situations. However, as expected, to the left of the doorway stood a sturdy oak four-poster bed, complete with equally homely sheets and linens.

"Thank you, God," he grumbled, rolling his eyes and glancing to the ceiling. "Throwing this crap at me, too."

Mac blatantly ignored him and slipped out of her shoes, curling her toes once she was free of the restraints. She shifted her weight from foot to foot as if to see if her limbs were able. Finally, she walked to the plush sofa in front of the bed and sat down, glancing outside.

"Maybe if we pray really hard, it'll go away?" Mac said.

"I doubt it." He too sat down and shook his head. "Listen, downstairs, sorry."

She waved it off. "I was stupid."

"Are you alright?"

"Harm, we fight like that all the time. I don't see how this is different."

Mac saw a quick flash of hurt on his face as he paused. She hesitated, contemplating how to reword what she was trying to say.

"I meant in the car, you were acting strange."

"I nearly made us road kill, why shouldn't I be unnerved? A navy-marine carcass." Mac got up and started towards her baggage, searching for something to sleep in. She came across her USMC sweatshirt and an old pair of shorts. "I'll take the couch."

Before Harm could respond, she shuffled to the bathroom and securely closed the door behind her, providing no room for argument.

As he heard the shower turn on from behind the bathroom door, he quickly went into his own luggage, pulling out something to sleep in. As fast as he could, Harm managed to change and put away his wrinkled uniform for later use. He opened the top-most drawer on which a tiny 12-inch TV was perched to find extra linens. After glancing once more at the bathroom to ensure that Mac was not exiting, he quickly set up a make-shift bed on the sofa.

"Time to fight fire with fire…" he breathed under his breath.

* * *

Mac vigorously rubbed her hair with the towel as she came out of the bathroom. A small cloud of steam escaped from behind her and she sighed. She was relaxing, getting her rest as Harm suggested, however, she saw he was not.

After scanning the room for a moment, she saw him stretched out over a comforter on the sofa with a file in his hands.

"What're you doing?"

"Reading," Harm said flatly without looking up.

"Get on that bed."

His eyes flicked up. "Why, Mac, isn't it all a bit sudden?"

A low growl escaped her throat. "Please, Harm."

He didn't budge. Instead, he thumbed through the contents of the file. "Did you know that Lieutenant Gray had a juvenile record before enlisting?"

"Cut the crap."

Harm suddenly sat up straight at attention. "Not until you tell me what's with you today."

After putting away her things, Mac nearly fell back to the bed. She grabbed one pillow and held it in front of her, studying it intensely. "I think we need our rest."

"I know that look." She stared at Harm quizzically as he replied, "You once told me that you knew 'the look' I was giving you. I can now say with the utmost confidence that I know your look now. It's the _I'm lying _look. I've had to work around your lips not doing the upturn thing anymore."

She couldn't believe that her body was betraying her when a smile slowly played on her lips. "Really?"

Harm placed the papers back into the file. He carefully placed them on the floor and turned back to his partner. After a moment hesitation, he squeezed his eyes shut and brought his index finger and thumb to the bridge of his nose.

"As I recall, someone told me a woman wants three things in life. A great career, a good man, and lots of comfortable shoes. Although you may need help in the shoe department," he said, motioning towards her broken high-heel, "The other two areas seem just fine."

"Whoever told you _that_ is a crackpot," Mac smiled back.

"Do you want to talk?"

"Trust me, you don't want to know."

Harm glanced outside through the rectangular window, the rain had ceased to stop, but he was able to disregard the occasional flashes of lightning and crashes of thunder in the homely inn. "I have nowhere to go."

Mac didn't say anything. Instead, she reached over the side of the bed to retrieve her smaller pack, inside which was a small half-eaten sandwich. "I'm starving."

"Didn't we pick that up over one hour ago?"

She shrugged. "From that tiny deli, yes. It tasted funny, so I put it away for later."

"Maybe there's something wrong with it, the place looked a bit seedy."

"Well, if there is, I'm too hungry to care," Mac grumbled. She unwrapped the loosely covered BLT and munched on it slowly, relishing the taste. She had to admit the warmth of the food was a bit strange, but she shook it off with another bite.

* * *

Mac's fingers brushed up against the page, hoping that somehow, everything would make sense to her. A case she had been assigned to less than three days ago was an enigmatic puzzle, and it wasn't helping that she was cooped up in the middle of Norfolk, rather than being at JAG investigating. With a sigh, she closed up the folder and discarded it beside her bed.

Harm was sprawled on the couch, his brow furrowed in thought. One hand was draped loosely over its top, near the foot of the bed and his fingers drummed uniformly over the material of the furniture. She leaned back against the propped up pillows and let her gaze rest on Harm as she examined him studiously.

"What's on your mind?" she whispered.

His head snapped to her and his features relaxed after a moment. "Nothing. Why?"

"Well, you keep asking me."

The corners of his lips tilted upward. "Alright, I tell you what I'm thinking about, you tell me what happened to you in the car. Deal?"

She nodded hesitantly and let her body relax, preparing herself for Harm's explanation. However, a clap of thunder made her jump slightly and a slow shiver traveled down her spine as she pulled the blanket up to her waist. As if on cue, the lights in the room flickered ominously, then went off. Downstairs, she could hear a little yelp and a bit of clutter as people reorganized themselves.

"Maybe my little…thing can wait."

Mac gently rolled her legs off the right side of the bed and tiptoed slowly towards Harm's couch until she was beside it. He got up slowly and made his way towards the door quietly. He didn't hear her get up, and bumped into her side.

"Sorry," he whispered, moving around her. He placed himself between Mac and the doorway.

Without thinking, she took a step to find her feet brush his. She couldn't help but feel a flicker of attraction between them as he cupped her elbow and guided her towards the door. Harm opened it to come face-to-face with an unidentified figure.

"Commander? It's Dan. I brought up some candles, seems the whole area's out."

Mac blindly reached her hands out to accept the candles and small package of matches. After a moment of hesitantly moving her arms to search for Dan, she brought the small plastic bag towards her and held it close.

"Thanks," Harm said, slowly moving back and nudging Mac back with him.

"If you need anything, just holler."

With that, Dan reached into the room and closed the door shut. They could here his footsteps echo through the halls, and his voice as he talked to the middle-aged couple in the next room.

Mac squinted as she tried to pick out the shapes in the room. Her eyes had adjusted, and she could make out Harm's tall figure going to the window and opening the shade, letting a bit of moonlight into the dim room. She worked her way to the desk and stood beside Harm, handing him the candles and getting the matches ready to light to room.

A tiny crack was heard as the match went off.

The small flame flickered as Harm spoke. "Careful."

She brought the matchstick to the wick of the candle, which immediately caught fire and illuminated the room in a warm, effervescent glow. She did the same with the remaining four candles and went back to her place on the bed. Harm, however, stood at the window in thought.

"You still need to tell me," she reminded him.

He crossed his arms. The light of the candles accentuated the lines on his face, she realized, and it hurt her inside. When did he become like this? The man she knew when they first met was a carefree bachelor, who wanted nothing more than to serve his country. She had often made fun of his arrogant, cocky attitude – perhaps because of the unfailing camaraderie between them. Years of burden and stress had aged and changed him, but Mac found she yearned for his presence just as much as before.

"Mattie."

Mac sucked in her breath. "What about her?"

"Her and her dad, they've been getting closer. I think soon…"

And with that, Mac understood. "You knew it wouldn't last forever."

"I know, but it was just great to pretend it would, you know?"

A sympathetic smile played on her lips. "Regardless of what happens, Mattie will always be grateful for what you guys had. She'll always love you. She's a wonderful kid, and I'm sure you'll be a great dad one day."

A lopsided grin flashed on his face. "You forgot to finish your sentence."

"What?"

" 'I'm sure you'll be a great dad one day'…_whenever that happens_."

Mac brought her arms around her and tightened them protectively. "You know I wasn't thinking that."

"I know. But I was." Harm turned towards her. He took several careful steps towards his place on the couch.

"You shouldn't."

Mac closed her eyes, letting the faint sound of the rain outside calm her nerves when she heard a slight yelp from Harm. She sat upright and squinted to see his form hunched over the plush sofa. "Son of a…"

"What? You alright?"

"God damn," he hissed, "I kicked off…my shoes of here. I guess I tripped over and hit my toe on the couch."

She made a visible pout from her place on the bed. "Oh…poor Harmon."

His eyes flicked up. She could feel a playful repartee coming on. "I'll have you know it was my big toe." He turned around and started to the bathroom, as he awkwardly stumbled inside. He attempted to flick the light switch, and then remembered their situation. He hung his head in disappointment.

She exhaled her breath slowly and shook her head in amusement. She retraced her partner's steps through the dimly lit room, carefully picking up a candle between her forefinger and thumb from the side table. For a moment, she felt woozy as her stomach made a soft gurgling noise – it definitely wasn't one of hunger. She quickly shook it off and continued her way to Harm. In the bathroom, Mac instructed Harm to hold it and examined his foot, leaning cautiously over him in the cramped room.

"Well, I'm no Ph.D., but I'd say you broke skin. You're bleeding. You probably hit yourself on the wooden base of the sofa."

"I told you it wasn't a simple stubbed toe."

She smirked and tiptoed to her bags, finding her makeshift first aid kit and withdrawing a Band-Aid. After a moment of venturing back to Harm carefully, Mac dressed his 'wound' quickly and finished with an affirming pat against his calf. For what seemed like the hundredth time that night, Mac went back to the warm bedcovers and laid down, flat on her back but Harm looked after her curiously. She rolled to her side so that he could no longer see her face in the faint light.

Even after all she had said after Paraguay. After the hurt and anger he had felt when he left JAG, towards both her and his coworkers. After months he spent with the CIA as he tried to wash her off him, get past all they had made together. Everything he had shared with Mac shattered the moment she agreed to accompany Clayton Webb on assignment – unbeknownst to him, of course. Harm couldn't believe the revelation he had come upon, and believed wholeheartedly, even after all they had gone through -- Sarah Mackenzie had made an indelible mark on his life and soul.

A small part of him knew it was silly to think that after what she had made clear with both Clay and her recent words to him. The rest of him, however, hoped that she felt the same way.

* * *

TBC... 


	3. Chapter III

Mac furrowed her brow and rolled over to her left side. Her stomach had ceased with the strange noises, but the nauseous feeling failed to go with it. She brought her right hand to her middle and pressed against her abdomen cautiously, silently willing the discomfort to go away. Nothing happened. Instead, she shuffled on her side slightly away from the side of the bed and put left hand under her pillow, propping it up slightly.

"Mac?"

She groaned inwardly, knowing that Harm had heard all the tossing and turning. "Yeah."

"What's wrong?"

"I don't know. I…my stomach doesn't feel quite right."

He chuckled. "Must be that sandwich."

He could here a tiny noise and she brought her hand to her forehead in frustration. That disgusting BLT had slipped her mind. "Never mind. I'm fine." She actually wasn't.

The rain had died down, but the distant cracks of lightning often flashed to room in an eerie blue light. After a moment of silence, the light of the bedside lamp bathed the room; the blackout had ended.

"Yes!" Harm threw off his comforter and swung his legs over the side of the couch. He quickly went around the room and blew out the candles. "No more fire hazards."

As much as she was relieved that things were back to normal, she couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed. Although she felt like a teenage girl thinking it, the candlelight did gave the room a cozy feel. She sat up straight and smiled after propping herself up on her elbows as she watched Harm roam around the room like an excited child.

"I really can't fall asleep," she said.

Harm froze in his place and turned towards her, attempting to mask his mischievous intentions with a somber expression. "I believe we had a deal, Colonel?"

She blinked as he stared at her, demanding a response. Instead of indulging him, she fell backwards, shielding herself from him by throwing the comforter over her head.

"Never mind, I'm dead tired."

"Come on, Mac. I'll just weasel it out of you back in Washington."

She rolled over and buried her face into her pillow. "I don't feel like it." She knew she was acting juvenile, but her upset stomach wasn't helping with the situation.

"Alright," Harm whispered. She could detect the slight edge to his voice, which she assumed was anger.

Under the safety of the blankets, she could faintly make out Harm's dark silhouette against the light of the bedside lamp. Mac heard a quiet 'click' as he turned off the lamp and made his way back to his place in front of the bed.

"You don't need to be like _that_ about it," she said softly.

He sighed and adjusted his linens. "I just said 'alright'. I don't understand what else you need."

"You were thinking like…a jerk. Why do you-"

"Don't put words in my mouth," he said simply, controlling the volume of his voice. Harm crossed his left arm behind his head and laid back on the pillow.

Mac made no such attempt hide the annoyance from her voice. "Maybe I just don't feel as comfortable talking about my problems to you."

"Have you ever been comfortable with me?" he shot back bitterly.

She chose her words carefully. "About certain things, yes. Just not now."

"Great excuse."

Harm waited to for her comeback. A smug smile of satisfaction played on his face when he heard none. The expression washed away in a matter of seconds when he heard Mac's feet pad against the carpet as she walked towards him.

"Oh, God," she breathed as she jogged by him to the bathroom. The door swung open fiercely when she reached to the right until her fingers brushed against the light switch and flicked it up. The light illuminated the area where Harm sat upright, uncertain by her actions.

"Mac, close the door for Pete's sake!" Harm turned his head away.

He heard Mac growl in anger.

"It's not that you…squid!" she said, unsure of how to grab his attention.

He peeked through his left eye to see her leaning over the toilet on her knees. As quickly as he could register what she was doing, he bolted up and into the bathroom.

He quickly grabbed a small towel from the stand and wetted it and then hesitantly gathered up her hair and leaned down beside her. She glanced up as he brushed the towel against her forehead with a smile.

"Sorry about what I said," he grinned.

She opened her mouth to respond. Instead, she ended up facing back down towards the toilet and throwing up. Harm frowned as she coughed away the last spasm. Mac blinked and let herself rock backwards as he gently let her hair down. She leaned back against the base of the bathtub and swallowed hard. She closed her eyes shut and squeezed them, slowly letting the relief wash over her. When she opened them again, Harm had cleaned up the area and was standing over her.

"You done?" he asked. He offered her a damp towel and crouched down beside her.

She brushed her hair from her face and laid the towel against her forehead. "I sure as hell hope so."

"See what that damn sandwich did? You spewed you guts out."

"But you ate from the same place, why was I the only one who got sick?" she whispered as he helped her up. She groaned as she took a step forward. "I'm a lawyer…they are totally sued."

He gave Mac a tiny nudge out the bathroom. "Must've been something wrong with all that meat. I remind you that _I_ had a salad."

* * *

Mac studied the stucco ceiling as she sorted out her inner conflict. Her stomach had settled down (after several more outbreaks) and just to make sure the problem would not return, she lied on her back, not daring to move an inch. She contemplated over Harm's actions in the bathroom. Although it didn't seem like the time or place to be thinking of their relationship, as she was heaving over the toilet, she couldn't help but find his caring for her incredibly intimate and heartfelt.

"Clay and I broke up, two weeks ago," she breathed hesitantly.

She heard him turn over on the couch and readjust his bedcovers. He was silent for a moment, but broke the uneasy stillness after contemplating his words. "Well…I'm sorry."

"I don't know if _I_ am."

"What do you mean?"

"Let's just say our relationship was a…conflict of interest, if you're all for euphemisms. Conflicting schedules, conflicting ideals, conflicting everything."

"Why didn't you tell me earlier?"

"Hey," she snapped, "I'll remind you that your split with Renee was unknown to _me_ for a while."

Oh yeah, he thought. He cleared his throat and attempted to lighten the mood. "We're even then?"

No response, which was not good for him; the last thing he needed right now was a pissed off Sarah Mackenzie stuck with him in such a small room.

Unexpectedly, there was a soft chuckle instead. "Will you and I ever be able to work it out with someone?"

"Good question. When you find an answer, get back to me," he laughed.

Mac smiled and brushed her hair back from her face. "We'd better get to sleep. We don't want to be driving half asleep tomorrow."

A wave of disappointment rushed over him as she abruptly ended their deepening conversation. "Goodnight, Mac."

" 'Night Harm."

* * *

Mac woke up with a start as her internal clock went off, screaming '0600'. She rolled off the bed, delighted to feel her stomach back to normal. As she walked towards her luggage, she caught a glimpse of Harm dozing on the couch. His back was towards her, and his arm was folded protectively over his face. A smile played on her lips and he subconsciously brought his hand down and scratched his chin, but within a moment, he was back into a deep slumber.

She found her discarded uniform inside her luggage and headed to the bathroom with it in hand. After a quick shower, she did her hair and makeup. As she headed out the door back into the room, she hoped Harm was awake, but saw he had not budged.

"Rise and shine." She awkwardly patted his arm in a feeble attempt to wake him.

Thankfully, it worked when he turned over to face her and furrowed his brow as he squinted in the morning light. He had forgotten to close the drapes the night before, so the sunrays easily intruded the room and woke him from his sleep.

"You're ready…already?" Harm said with a raspy voice. He brought his hands to his eyes and rubbed away gently, attempting to get rid of the cobwebs of sleep.

"_Already_? It's twenty-one after."

He laughed and got up, adjusting his wrinkled shirt. "Twenty-one after what, 0400? When did we actually get some shut eye, about five hours ago?"

"Something like that."

As Harm's vision adjusted to the sudden light, he let his eyes rest on Sarah Mackenzie as she sat down on the couch after moving away his bed things. She leaned back and closed her eyes, taking a deep breath as her muscles relaxed again.

"You're stomach alright? It wasn't a pretty site last night," Harm said. He gathered up his uniform and started for the bathroom.

"Yeah," she said, "I never got to thank you for what you did. I mean, with the exception of your 'close the door' comment…thanks."

He waved off her gratitude. "I didn't do much. I'm just glad you're alright, Mac."

She nodded as he headed in for his shower. After what seemed like a mere three minutes, he was out again, fully clothed and looking quite nice in her opinion. After their belongings were packed away, both sat down on the sofa.

Harm brought his hands together and rested them against his abdomen. He peaked at Mac through his right eye and grinned. She looked as if she had melted, her body was incredibly relaxed against the fabric of the couch.

"I don't want to go either," he whispered. When she looked at him strangely, he quickly corrected himself. "I don't want to get back on that road again and go to work. I didn't mean I liked it here…wait…"

She smiled and chuckled. "Well, I do like it. Sharing a room wasn't that bad, was it?"

"I guess not. We survived it in Russia, and that was when I had that god-awful chair to sleep in. I didn't think my back would ever recover from that, but here I am."

Mac tilted her head to look at him fully and took in his figure resting lazily beside her. She was touched by the closeness of the moment, regardless of the fact there was no physical contact. "But this time, we had more time to enjoy it."

* * *

[ A / N ] - lol, great guess serendipity, I hope it wasn't THAT easy to see ;)

TBC


	4. Chapter IV

A / N - This is all post-hotel room, as you can probably guess :)

* * *

"Sir, I don't believe that Lieutenant Gray is guilty," Mac said from her place on the desk to the telephone, which was on speaker mode.

Harm arched an eyebrow from the chair that was placed directly in front of the desk. "Admiral, I disagree with the Colonel. The Lieutenant knowingly disobeyed Captain Dawson's orders when he was relieved of his helmsman duties."

Mac sighed, knowing that Harm's argument was textbook. "Yes, but were it not for Gray's first rate navigation skills, the USS Jackson might have had an extremely injurious accident."

"Colonel Mackenzie is totally blowing the situation out of proportion, Sir. Yes there were a few miscalculations, but nothing the crew couldn't handle without Gray taking charge."

Chegwidden's gruff voice could be heard for a moment. "I think-"

Mac unknowingly cut him off, "The Lieutenant steered the ship clear of a possible collision with the refueling carrier. They were at rough seas, and things were getting a bit messy when the Jackson was going faster than was required. The Captain was alerted and blamed Gray, at which point he wanted to replace him with another navigator. Gray, however successfully got the ship out of its crux before the Captain took forceful action to get him out."

"Well, Colonel-" Chegwidden starts.

Harm interjected their CO once more, "That doesn't matter. He disobeyed Dawson's order, so at the very least, an article 32 is needed."

Rather than letting Chegwidden speak, Mac stared at her partner in disbelief. "I can't believe this. The man saved hundreds of thousands on board that vessel. He should be getting a medal, not a reprimand! Especially not one that could have such a detrimental effect on his career."

"Mac-"

"Stand down!" Chegwidden said sharply before either officer could put another word in. "I don't see why _I_ must be present right now, since you two seem to be having such an involved conversation about this case."

Harm glanced at Mac and smiled nervously. Neither lawyer wanted or needed to get in the way of such an irritated Admiral Chegwidden. "Sorry, Sir. We apologize."

An audible sigh could be heard on the other end. "I'm sure you are. I'm assuming Colonel Mackenzie will be defending the Lieutenant?"  
  
"Yes, Sir…_if_ the Commander really sees it fit to take this to an article 32."  
  
Chegwidden ignored her final attempt to keep the Lieutenant out of the limelight. "And Commander Rabb, your…zeal has lead me to believe you want to prosecute."  
  
"Of course, Sir," Harm said.

"I'll see you both at JAG on Monday."

Before either lawyer could respond, a tiny click was heard as Chegwidden terminated the line.

"That went well, don't you think?" Harm said as he got up.

"Marvelous," Mac replied, "but you can't be serious, you know Lieutenant Gray is just a scapegoat for the _near_ accident. If anyone is to blame, it's the Captain for giving to okay to the given speed of the USS Jackson."

Harm gave her an obvious fake smile. "Regardless of what he did or did not do, Lieutenant Gray disobeyed orders, it's as simple as that."

"Your argument is weak and you know it, Commander."

"I see," he said, crossing his arms and furrowing his brows, "I'm sure that will be decided in court by the members."

She put up her chin in defiance, "I'm sure it will. But now, let's go – I am totally exhausted."  
  
"That makes two of us," Harm agreed, "barely any sleep on the road, and an ongoing investigation – the perfect recipe for death by fatigue."

Mac grabbed her briefcase from the temporary desk they had been provided to them and started out the door with Harm trailing right behind her.

* * *

"Your last chance," Mac said as she and Harm ventured down the hallway of the hotel towards their rooms. 

"For what?"

"To drop the article 32."

As Mac slid in the keycard to her hotel room and opened the door, Harm leaned against the wall to the left of her nonchalantly and gave a lopsided grin. "I can't believe this…no deal, Mac." He enunciated the last three words.

"Fine, prepare to be defeated during the trial." Mac took a step into the room and turned around, letting the corners of her lips perk up.

She let an awkward moment wash over them as Harm pushed himself off the wall and stood at the door uncertainly; she slowly slid her cover off her head just to fill the strange stillness with some sort of movement. He shoved his hands into his pockets and glanced behind her into the room.

"You want to come in?" she whispered, unsure of how to proceed with the situation. "If for only a bit."

"I thought you were tired," he said. Despite himself, Harm took a step forward and locked her in an intense gaze which she couldn't tear herself away from.

Mac backed away slightly to give him entrance to the room. "We can talk. I mean, it was nice at the Downsview the other day, between the blackout, stubbed toe and food poisoning."

He smiled and accepted her invitation. "The food poisoning being the worst?"

Mac groaned as she remembered the nauseous feeling and brought her hand to her stomach instinctively. "By far."

She led them to the couch and flopped down carelessly. Harm, with much more restraint of course, did the same.

"We should leave around 1100 tomorrow, right?" he asked.

"Then it's back to the road," she whined.

"Hey, but then we have two days of weekend between us and our desks at JAG. I guess that's a good point."

Harm, who had neglected to take off his cover, stared at the door in contemplation. "We should probably get some sleep."

Mac frowned inwardly. "If that's what you want."

"I said that's what we _should_ do," Harm breathed, his low voice sending shivers down her spine. "Not what I _wanted_ to do."

His gaze had suddenly shifted from the door to her, she realized, feeling slightly uncomfortable. He made no advance, but she could feel a certain yearning emitting from him – one that she definitely reciprocated. However, Mac made no move to accept his growing temerity, so he followed his initial instinct and turned away. He hesitantly took off his cover and placed it between them.

"Sorry…" he whispered.

Before he could let himself be pushed away, she explained her hesitation hastily, "It's just that I can't yet Harm."  
  
"Are you sure it isn't your belief that there can 'never be anything between us'?" Harm reiterated her words from Paraguay while staring at his hands.

Mac sighed and closed her eyes. "No, I meant…I need to sort some things out in my life before I can take such a big step."

"You never needed to wait for Webb in Paraguay," Harm stated. Unlike in the hotel room three days before, he made no attempt to keep his voice steady this time. "You and I have worked with each other nearly nonstop for _nine_ years. Then after Webb waltzes in and shows his gratitude once, you leap into his arms. I'd classify _that_ as foolhardy, not…us."

Mac got up from her relaxed position on the couch as Harm did the same. He stood up to his full height, and as much as she hated to admit it, he dwarfed her in presence.

Before she could respond and clarify the situation, Harm continued. "Fine, sort some things out, Mac. I mean, you're skilled in military litigation and solve _other_ people's problems – how can you do that when you can't even solve your own?"

"Get out." Mac said simply as she stepped forward and decided that she didn't need Harm's height to look imposing.

Harm frowned. He watched her for a moment as she took a step back and opened the door of the hotel room for him expectantly.

"Fine," he said. "I can't wait for you to sort out your whole life and frankly, neither will anyone else."

Outside the door, a cleaning lady just finished exiting the opposite room and asked Mac, "Will you be leaving? Or you don't want me to clean the room yet."

"Go on in, I'll be going to the bar for a while," Mac said. She turned to Harm. "Can you take the first driving shift tomorrow?"  
  
"The bar?" he questioned.

Mac made no move to explain that she wasn't going to get plastered. She crossed her arms and waited for an answer to her previous question. The look of surprise washed off Harm's face when he nodded abruptly and spun on his heel, brushing past the maid as he went towards his own room. Mac gave the maid entry to her room and smiled, going in the opposite direction towards the elevator.

As she pressed the button with a bit more force than necessary, Mac bit her lower lip and silently cursed Harm. As she boarded the elevator that held two men in their mid-twenties, she was reminded that she had failed to change out of her uniform when they threw her strange looks. She shrugged it off and decided she couldn't be bothered with going back to her room.

Downstairs, Mac slid into a bar stool and buried her face into her hands after letting out a great sigh.

"Tough day?" the bartender asked, startling her out of the temporary daze.

"Isn't it always?" she laughed back somberly.

The bar was dead, having only a group of young friends celebrating by getting drunk at the back wall and a short man in a trench coat three spots to the right of her. The bartender leaned over and rested himself on his elbows.

"I'd say it would be for you military types."

Mac smiled, "I guess the uniform is a bit more than…eye catching. Colonel Sarah Mackenzie, Marine Corps."

He grinned and turned around. "A marine, eh? What'll it be?"  
  
"Tonic water, twist of lime," Mac breathed. She rested her head on her open left palm. The words rolled off her tongue so easily now, it was like second nature for her to do so in a bar.

"What's your problem then?" the bartender asked as he slid a glass over to her. "Military just…getting to you? My brother resigned a few months back, he was Navy."

Mac furrowed her brow, _Navy_, she thought. "Let's just say…people in the military sometimes get to me."

"Well, for now I think I'll just call you Sarah, if that's alright."

Harm, meanwhile, had ventured downstairs to catch a glimpse of what his disgruntled partner was doing in the bar. He knew he had crossed the line, made her snap, and didn't know if it was possible to go back again. He sneakily walked past the front desk into the recreational area, where the bar was behind a small waist-high wall. Harm sat down at a plush lounge chair and squinted through the plants and flowers that decorated the area to see Mac laughing and smiling with an equally ecstatic bartender. He rolled his eyes and pushed himself up, turning around to go back up to his room.

* * *

TBC 


	5. Chapter V

A / N - Ah, in no way was I trying to sound anti-Mac. It's just I sometimes think that both parties are the most stubborn people I've ever seen (for such succesful lawyers, that is.) Both need to start thinking things out a bit more rationally :)

* * *

Mac sauntered up to her room, and bit her bottom lip with contemplation. She brushed his fingers up against the doorknob, making several attempts to open the door with no such luck. For the fourth time, she shoved the keycard in and pulled it out, nudging her shoulder against the jammed door this time to be surprised by the ease in which it opened. As she went in muttering to herself, she had one goal in mind – to get Harm out of her system.

Her glory was cut short when she saw her bed. Although it was neatly made up and in a much better condition than what she left it in, Mac's anger quickly inclined to total rage as she saw what sat neatly between the pillows. Squarely on the center of the mattress, plain in view from all areas of the room was Harmon Rabb's cover.

Mac ignored it after a moment of deliberating and dashed into the bathroom to clean up for the night. When she exited, the white accessory, decorated with the American naval insignia and gold laurels had not moved, much to her discontent. Mac took a few hesitant steps towards the bed and awkwardly leaned over to move the horrid thing that had invaded her room. She picked it up delicately and held in front of her with her forefinger and thumb, concentrating on it with sheer reflection. After a moment, she laughed and lobbed it towards the couch, where it landed precariously after hitting the side window.

* * *

Harm furrowed his brow as he took long strides to Mac's room with his briefcase in hand. He had already loaded up his luggage into the car, but had failed to hear from Mac since last night's events; they were supposed to check out in less than fifteen minutes. As he approached her room, he saw the door was slightly ajar. Motivated by both instinct and worry, he swung the door open to see Mac crouched over her things as she packed away the last of her belongings.

"Don't you ever knock?" she sighed.

Harm put his briefcase down and crossed his arms. "I saw the door open a bit and didn't think."

"Yeah, I left it that way," she said curtly. Then after a moment, she turned to him and added with a scathing tone, "You really don't _do_ much thinking, do you?"

Harm swallowed hard and nodded, deciding to be the bigger person in their squabbles for once. "Yes, about that…"

She stood up and walked to the couch, grabbing Harm's carelessly thrown cover and standing behind her bag. "You forgot this last night."

He nodded and took a step forward to accept it. "I know."

"Why didn't you come back and get it?" she asked. "Didn't have the guts?"

Harm shrugged and jingled the car keys in his right pocket.

Mac smiled and shook her head, understanding his actions despite the lack of response. "First time for everything. Commander Harmon Rabb _not_ having the guts to do something."

"It seems to always be like that with you. It's different."

"Only me," she stated, remembering Australia once again. "You know, maybe you should start getting a few new lines, Harm."

"I don't understand what more you want from me."

She wore a look of sheer exasperation on her face. "Why couldn't you do this before? Any time. There were so many times…I don't understand."

"Why didn't you ever do anything?" he threw back.

"We'd better get going, it started to rain again last night and if it continues, we'll get back to D.C. next week," Mac said, ignoring his attempt to challenge her growing staunchness.

Harm stood surprised, hoping that they could rectify everything from the evening before. His partner didn't think so, however, and grabbed her roll-along and left the room. Harm followed her and they went down the elevator in silence. He had just wished yesterday could have gone well. If he had judged the situation better, rather than berating her as he did, they might've been in a different situation.

The sound of the elevator door opening jarred him from his reverie as he exited behind Mac.

"Why don't you check out, I can put my stuff in the car," Mac said as she held out her hand for the keys to the Nissan. Harm reluctantly fished them from his right pocket and let them fall into the palm of her right hand.

Mac quickly walked to the car outside, where the rain had already started to shower down. She groaned and jogged the rest of the way from the protection of the hotel roof. She managed to swing the trunk open and threw her suitcase in, slamming it shut once more. As she ran to the passenger side of the car, she shoved the key into the hole, and tried to turn it when it jammed. The damn key refused to budge as she stood out in the increasingly heavy downpour. The rain dampened her hair, and sent locks of it in front of her face, obstructing her view.

"Holy God. First last night in the hotel, and now this," she growled and pulled the key out. All of a sudden, she felt Harm's presence behind her as he held an umbrella out over them.

"Having trouble, stranger?" he said, gently prying the key from her fingers. She shrugged and tried to edge away from him, but his umbrella followed her deftly.

"Why don't you give it a try?" she said impatiently when he made no move to give them entry to the car.

Harm locked his eyes with hers and let out a puff of air. "Let me explain, Mac. I mean, you don't need to accept it, and I'm not pressuring you into anything."

She arched an eyebrow and after a moment of contemplation, she let him speak.

"Last night, I was out of line – it's just after Paraguay, I didn't know what to think anymore. All my friends, my support, and everything I knew were back at JAG. I had no where to go and now, we're finally piecing it back and when you said that you wanted to sort it out, I just assumed you meant no. Did it mean no?" He felt strange, he realized. That was one of the first times he had ever been so verbal about all he had experienced in Paraguay, and it surprised him that he would be talking to Sarah Mackenzie, of all people, about all of it.

Mac frowned and crossed her arms. "_You_ didn't let me finish my thought. I thought we should've waited before…everything. After Webb and all – it's not you."

A huge twang of hurt ran threw him as he realized she spoke in the past tense. "Can we…still wait for everything?"

"I thought you said you wouldn't."

"I was angry. I've realized no matter what I do, I'll end up waiting for this - us. I just thought that I don't want to wait forever. I want now." He leaned forward a bit. "Or at least soon, if that's what _you_ want."

"So as long as it's not _forever_, you're alright?" Mac asked, amused by his strange line of conversation.

"Yes," he agreed hastily as she took a step forward.

Mac chose her words carefully. "I'm sure we can reach a compromise that both parties will accept."

"Are you sure?" he whispered. He was so close now that they could here each other despite the roar of the rain coming down around them.

She nodded. "Permission to confer with counsel?"

He didn't even get a response out before she pressed her lips to his in a long, much needed kiss. It was not an embrace of passion or total urgency, as they had experienced in the past. This time, it was one of consummation, something that both would hold more dear than anything they had done before.

"So…" Harm managed to breath out.

"I'm not saying never," Mac said. "Not this time."

He let his forehead rest against hers gently. "I really don't know if this is real or…something else."

Mac bit her bottom lip and laughed. "Now, that we're at a middle ground, I think I might need one last thing."

"Shoot."

"For you to drop that damned article 32 against Lieutenant Gray."

"Yeah," Harm grinned. "Those tactics will get you no where, Colonel. I think we're fine the way we are."

* * *

A / N - To clear up any and all ambiguity, I will be adding an epilogue of sorts soon, but this ends the main plot. Again, thank you for the reviews :) 


	6. Epilogue

EPILOGUE (of sorts)

* * *

"Exit 142?" Mac whispered to herself as she eyed the passing sign.

Harm shuffled through the papers within the file that was perched precariously on his knees. "What?" he said without looking up.

He didn't know if she had ignored him or failed to hear him, but was surprised when she suddenly shifted the car to the right-most lane on the highway. His files nearly fell to the floor, but he managed to hold them in place.

Mac led the car out the next exit and he watched in confusion as they went through the looping street up to the overpass ahead. As they journeyed down the solitary road, which was peppered with only a few buildings, Harm squinted through the foggy glass to see where they were going with no avail.

"Where are we?" he asked, trying to get her attention.

"Wait," she said, "keep an eye out."

"For…? You haven't even told me where we're going."

"Never mind, got it," Mac said confidently as she took a left turn into another two-laned road that took a straight path through a small town.

Harm tried to pick out any landmarks that stood out to find every sight as monotonous as the rest. "Would you mind letting _me_ in on your itinerary…"

Before he could finish his trail of thought, Harm finally picked out a familiar signpost amongst all of the old billboards and small shops. _The Downsview_, said a large sign on top of a tall metal pole. The light blue letters were written in a soft, cursive hand and stood out against the white background of the display.

"Why are we…"

Mac wordlessly pulled into the lot and parked the car in the nearest available space. Unlike the other time they were there, the lot was virtually deserted, except for two pickups and a large green van. She opened the door and stuck her leg out to exit when she saw Harm had made no move to join her.

"Harm?"

His brow was creased in thought as he tried to sort through how they had wound up here. "I thought you wanted to go home…"

"Do you?" she asked.

"I'll...follow you wherever you want." He made a face at his choice of phrasing.

Mac fought the urge to smile at the sheer cliché about his words. "How about here?"

"Alright," he said hesitantly. After swinging the door open, he removed his long legs from within the car and stretched his limbs before pushing himself from his seat and yawning.

Mac sighed and briskly walked to the entrance of the gray bricked building. Harm followed in suit and came inside the lobby a few seconds after. The familiar bell rang out as the two came inside, and Molly Lane's head snapped up from her billing paperwork at the front desk.

"Commander, Colonel," she smiled and moved her items aside. "What brings you here?"

"You remember us," Mac laughed and took a few steps forward, leaning against the tall counter.

Molly shook her head and grinned. "You two are a bit hard to forget…no disrespect of course."

"Ah, _she_ gets that all the time," Harm said, motioning towards his partner.

Molly realized the pair in front of her were acting much calmer and happier than before – last time was unnerving. "You need rooms?"

Mac nodded. "I think we need a bit of rest. We only need to be back at work by Monday, so we have a some time to spare."

"No storms, hail or rain this time. Two rooms…" Molly breathed. She turned around to get the two closest room keys when Mac's voice stopped her.

"Actually…just one."

Molly's hand stopped in mid motion. She smiled and grabbed the nearest keycard, spinning around to see the Commander staring at the Colonel openmouthed. Mac, however, looked unperturbed except the fact she was nervously chewing her lower lip.

Harm prodded his partner in the arm when she swung her head in his direction. He snapped his mouth closed and stood up straight, trying to ward off the strange look from Molly. Mac accepted the key and led Harm upstairs to their room after a quick thank-you to the hotel owner. Inside their room, Harm prodded Mac in the arm again nearly the moment they got into the room.

"What?"

"What are you doing? I thought you wanted to wait…"

"I…I thought we could spend some more time together. I liked it last time," Mac hissed back. "What, you don't want-"

"I never said that," Harm muttered, "I just don't want you to do something you're not one hundred percent sure."

Mac looked at Harm with a flabbergasted expression. "We don't need to _do_ anything. I just wanted to talk or something, like we did before."

"You mean you don't _want_ to do anything?" Harm suddenly asked, trying to hide the sudden disappointment from his voice.

"Harm…"

"Sorry, sorry," he said with more confidence than he felt.

She put her hands on her hips and tapped her toe impatiently. "You know…let's just get home – it's only a few more hours."

She turned around to say re-exit the room when he grabbed her arm and pulled her back towards him. "No, I want to stay."

Mac searched his face for a sign of faltering and saw the uncertainty writ all along his tightly pursed lips. She brought his hands and placed them firmly at her hips. "When I said we don't need to do anything…"

"I was stupid."

"No," she said, providing no room for argument. She leaned in and firmly pressed her lips so his. She pulled away slightly, but was still close enough to feel his breath against her cheek.

"It's just I want this so badly," he whispered. She could feel a slight pressure at her sides as began to pull her closer.

"I want _you_, don't ever doubt that."

Harm let go of her and too a step back, closer to the couch where he crossed his arms. "So, where does this leave us? The end of all that bickering?"

"And the beginning," she reminded him. Her mind had wandered, for some unknown reason, to the end of the JAGathon where they had a similar line of conversation.

"A better one, this time," Harm grinned.  
  
She decided that he was right. He reached out for her and she put her arm up to put their hands together. She came to his left and intertwined their fingers with a sheepish chuckle. There was no fighting with the fire, no hurt anymore. She didn't want that, and the marine in her would be damned if she'd let them screw it up again.

* * *

THE END...

A/N -- Really, the end this time. Thank you again for all the reviews.


End file.
